The present invention relates to a line break detector and more particularly to an apparatus provided at desired portions of a pipeline for detecting an extraordinaly changing rate of an internal pressure of the pipeline through an electrical circuit when the pipeline bursts and for closing valves provided near the burst portions of the pipeline.
Occurrence of pipeline burst causes the fluid flowing through the pipeline to drain away and serious pollution problems arise in the neighborhood of the pipeline. If such pipeline burst is left as is, a great amount of energy resources, of course, is wasted. Therefore, it is necessary to minimize such serious pollution problems by providing detectors for detecting the occurrence of pipeline burst.
Previously, apparatuses consisting of mechanical elements, being utilized as the above-mentioned detector, have been developed and presented, but, however, such apparatuses include elements such as an orifice and a diaphragm or the like as indispensable elements and must be designed and produced in a manner that same are compatible with the type of fluid flowing through the pipeline since a change of characteristics of the apparatus occurs in response to the type of fluid. In addition, such conventional apparatuses are poor in thermal characteristics and therefore, in incapable of providing high accuracy in operation thereof, and require fine adjustments by skilled personnel.
Preferably, the line break detector should have adaptability for poor environmental conditions and high accuracy in operation as well as simplicity or ease in adjustment, installment and maintenance because the pipeline is often installed in very cold or hot districts.